Infoway launches new ImagineNation Challenges

Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) launched a new series of Challenges which will focus on the impact digital health investments have been making in Canada, with an aim to accelerate benefits.

The first phase of the new Challenges is aimed at patients, those whose careers are touched by health IT, and companies with a stake in the industry. The Impact Challenges will evolve with more phases being announced in the coming weeks.

These new Challenges follow the Outcomes Challenge, which involved 43 teams from across Canada who logged more than three million uses of health IT.

The objective of the Impact Challenges is to capture the impact of health IT in the following three categories:

Patient Impact Challenge (up to $6,000 in awards): Participants are asked to describe, in 250 words or fewer, the impact health IT has had on their experience as a patient or a caregiver. Awards of $500 are available to the 10 submissions deemed to be the most compelling by a panel of judges. Qualified entries will also be entered into two random draws with up to 10 awards of $50 available. Finally, each entry will be voted on by Canadians with awards as follows: 1st place – $250, 2nd place – $150 and 3rd place – $100.

Career Impact Challenge (up to $6,000 in awards): Participants are asked to describe, in 250 words or fewer, the impact of publicinvestments in digital health have had, directly or indirectly, on their professional career (e.g. training, professional opportunities, leadership, collaboration, time saved, personal effectiveness, etc.). Awards of $1,250 for professional development are available to the four submissions deemed to be the most compelling by a panel of judges and a further $500 for the most compelling submission by an emerging professional. All qualified entries will also be entered in two random draws for up to a total of 10 awards of $50.

Business Impact Challenge (up to $6,000 in awards): Participants are asked to describe the impact public investments in digital health have had on their business in 500 words or less. This Challenge then pays the benefits forward. In order to foster future impact, all qualified entrants will be entered in a random draw for a chance to receive $2,000 to be designated as an unrestricted donation to a health, informatics or other relevant program at an accredited Canadian academic institution of the entrant’s choice.

Other Impact Challenges will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!